E-mail, Feeds, 'n' Stuff

Saturday, August 15, 2009

How it's done

We have enough money for a new $110 million* bridge so that new commuter trains and bicycle riders can get from the empty canyons of SoWhat to the wasteland surrounding OMSI. But if you don't pay another $10 or $20 a year to register your car, we'll have to let the Sellwood Bridge, which carries more than 30,000 vehicles a day, fall down.
* - Liars' budget figure. Actual cost will be greater. Does not include finance charges.

I'm sure they have no problem smugly telling themselves that supposedly encouraging and rewarding train riders and bike riders and punishing and thereby discouraging auto drivers is the right public policy.

The bike bridge comes courtesy of Trimet, while the Sellwood Bridge seems to fall under the jurisdiction of Mult County. Does anyone know how these different jurisdictions affect funding and implementation?

Who do you mean by 'we'? As in, "WE have enough money for..." This is a serious question.

'Cuz I think the money for the project is like 50% federal, 50% state/local.

So if 'we' are the American taxpayers, than yes, apparently we have $110m. (though of course it's only being spent right here in Portland metro area)

If 'we' are Oregonians, then I guess we have $55m, plus our small portion of the other federal $55m. (though of course it's only being spent right here in Portland metro area)

If 'we' are the residents of Multnomah and Clackamas County, and you are comparing the tax dollars from these 2 counties spent on the Trimet bridge vs. taxes spent on the Sellwood, than we are talking about much less than $110m.

Not saying I like where the money is being spent or not, but is it really $110m of Multnomah and Clackamas taxpayers dollars being spent on the Trimet bridge? Jus' askin'.

Why not fund everything with a Bike registration. Count the Bikes, multiply that number until we have X dollars needed, and sell bonds backed the projected revenue. Everyone will be happy if the city (or county) doesn't start a new bureau to collect the fees. No worries until the bonds come due and then we can refinance them by raising fees and selling bonds.

Unfortunately, they're good at getting capital project funds, not operating revenue. So while they continue to build new projects, existing service --especially bus service-- continues to be cut back. And fares continue to rise. And now we're cutting the buses from Fareless Square.

I'm surprised to be the only commenter so far who is for it. Just because we've gotten used to driving cars to work for the last 65 years doesn't mean that's permanent, immutable reality. A whole lot of people will eventually have to move closer to work and use public transit or bikes, and that transit infrastructure that looks expensive today will come in handy. And $110 million? Compared with the $4 billion Columbia River boondoggle, that's small change.

Why exactly do "a whole lot of people" have to move closer to work? Says who? If you want to sell your house and move into a condo bunker downtown, be my guest.

I suspect there will still be plenty of tax-paying employed folks living outside of downtown, the Pearl District, and South Waterfront who will need the basic transportation services that they already pay for with their property taxes and income taxes.

Those same people are the ones getting hit again for these "projects of the future" that will supposedly help with the millions moving to Portland in the next 20 years (you know, the ones moving here without jobs).

Jon, I believe you are right -- it's confusing to suggest that buses are being "cut" when it is the free ride that we're losing. At the same time, there's no question in my mind that bus service suffers from the emphasis and attention put on rail, and that's not a good thing at all.

Joey: The bike bridge comes courtesy of Trimet, while the Sellwood Bridge seems to fall under the jurisdiction of Mult County. Does anyone know how these different jurisdictions affect funding and implementation?

Ultimately, major transportation funding decisions come from Metro.

It is no secret that Multnomah County wants to be out of the bridge business (since the Willamette River bridges, with the exception of the Sauvie Island Bridge, all fall well within Portland city limits) and doesn't exert as much political pressure to fund the bridges.

It is no secret that TriMet is a capital budget hoard and loves its rail projects.

It is no secret that Metro loves choo-choo trains.

And it is no secret that the City of Portland loves choo-choo trains too.

So Metro + TriMet + Portland = choo-choo trains. Multnomah County? A non-issue. ODOT has some influence, but the Sellwood Bridge isn't an ODOT bridge so they don't really care. (Whereas Metro, TriMet and the City love to push their opinions on outside jurisdictions like Cornelius and Vancouver and Tualatin.)

So...that's why the Sellwood Bridge is going to fall in the river and we're going to build a new choo-choo and bike bridge.

Our alleged mayor, our county commissioners, and our Metro Five have been polishing their apologies for the loss of the bridge and those on it at the moment of its failure. Sooner than we might imagine, we may have opportunity to compare and critique their sincerely dishonest performances.